The Blind Date
by FanficTimeWithAlyssum
Summary: Thalia and Grover have spent weeks organizing a blind date. But when tables get mixed up and Annabeth ends up with Luke and Percy ends up with Rachel, how will they find their way to their real date? And which date will they like better: their mixed up date or their real date? Rated T for language. They are not demigods. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

*CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY ARE FROM THE PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS SERIES. THE PLOT AND WORDS ARE MINE...my precioussssss...*

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1:

Annabeth's POV

Thalia grinned, her black lips pulling back. Her black nails tapped the back of Annabeth's chair. "You look...slightly better than usual."

Thalia was wrong; Annabeth looked _a lot_ better than usual. Her hair was usually pulled up in a tight ponytail, her hair tangled and dull. When she woke up last week, she had found a tiny bump on her chin, threatening to burst at any moment. She wore baggy t-shirts that bunched up at her waist and shorts that were covered by her shirt. But it was like staring at a model, a twin that was better. Her usual ponytail was replaced by cascading ringlets that poured over her shoulders and back, shining like fresh golden thread from Rumplestiltskin's wheel. In baggy t-shirts, Annabeth's chest looked flat. But as Annabeth stood up, she saw that her breasts popped in her silver gray dress, even though the dress covered her cleavage fully. The dress was gray with a thin silver cloth wrapped around her waist. The front of the dress was shorter than the back, but it made Annabeth feel like she was beautiful. Her hobbit feet were resting on glittering silver heels.

And her eyes.

Her eyes were usually a dull gray, like screws drilling into a forehead. But Thalia had applied mascara that made her eyelashes tickle the tip her cheeks when she closed her eyelids. On the perimeter of her eyes was charcoal black pencil, eyeliner. Annabeth's eyelids were covered in silvery-blue powder. Her cheeks seemed more even; her skin was usually blotched and light in some places and dark in others. Thalia also seemed to have covered her malicious pimple in peachy make up.

Thalia waved a bottle, her eyebrows pinned up. "BB cream."

Annabeth laughed and stared at her hands. Thalia left her nails and toenails alone. They were clean and not-polished.

"A final touch," Thalia pulled a purple bottle from her bag and sprayed Annabeth's neck with it. It smelled like cinnamon and vanilla.

Annabeth smiled at the mirror. Her lips were covered in hot pink gloss.

"Thanks Thals," Annabeth got up and hugged her friend's waist. "You're like the fairy godmother. All I need is a pumpkin ride...hint hint?"

Thalia rolled her eyes. "I'll call for you, m'lady, a royal taxi cab."

Annabeth rolled her eyes back and laughed. "Do I need to be home by midnight?"

"No, your curfew is seven. It's four right now, which gives you about three hours."

"What happens if I'm late? Will my dress disappear and leave me naked on the streets of New York?"

Thalia snorted. "No, but your phone and your computer will. Disappear, I mean. It won't leave you on the streets naked...Yeah." Annabeth started to giggle.

They weren't just two little girls playing dress up. They were 16. They only played dress up on the weekends. Just kidding.

It's a Friday night. For Annabeth, it was date night.

A blind date, really. With a complete stranger. All alone...in New York.

Well he wasn't a _complete_ stranger; Thalia said she knew him really well.

Thalia and Annabeth heard a beep from outside of the apartment. The taxi. Taxi drivers in New York can be pretty impatient. Thalia gave Annabeth one last hug, sprayed her with more perfume, and said, "Try not to make a fool of yourself." And she was off. Date night.

Annabeth climbed into the cab and said, "Aldea on Teddy Street please?"

Percy's POV

Percy groaned as he untied and retied his neck tie over and over again. It's turquoise. He grunted and his mom came to help him. "Thanks mom," he said as she ties it correctly.

She smiled, the corners of her eyes wrinkling. "My big boy is all grown up. Going on his first date!"

Percy cringed at the mention of 'big boy.' It made him feel like he was twelve. "It's a blind date, mom."

Yesterday at school, Grover and Thalia had arranged a blind date for Percy. He couldn't believe he actually agreed. But Grover said he knew the girl really well, which was okay with Percy.

Speaking of Grover, he came galloping through the Jackson doorway. "Perce!" He bleated. He pounded on Percy's door. "Hi Grover," he heard his mom say.

_Gosh, _Percy rolled his eyes_, he's really like a goat. I wonder if he'll grow horns. _Percy straightened his black suit, tightened his tie, and brushed his hair. Finally, he sprayed his mouth his some freshener. _What the heck_, Percy thought. _Why do I care? It's just some date with a girl I don't even know._

But even after thinking that, Percy brushed his hair one more time and opened the door. Grover fell on the ground, landing on his butt.

_"_Aaaooowwww," Grover whimpered, limping off the ground. Percy chuckled. _"_C'mon Perce," Grover mumbled. "You're gonna be late. Let's go; I'll drive you."

Percy tightened his tie and walked out of his room and kissed his mom's cheek.

"Have fun," his mom grinned. "Take care, Grover! Drive safe!"

"Thanks Mrs. Jackson!" Grover bounced down the stairs, out the apartment door, and into his beat up blue BMW. Percy climbed in after. "Seatbelt." Percy put on his seatbelt. Grover took out his phone and put in a number. "Hold on, I gotta make a call."

Thalia's POV

Thalia had took a cab to Aldea, a classy seafood restaurant, right after Annabeth went there. She was standing outside the window, glancing at Annabeth sitting alone at a table, tapping her fingers. Thalia got a call from Grover.

"Where the hell are you? Where's Percy?" Thalia growled into the phone, and saw Annabeth look at the window. She ducked. "Annabeth looks ridiculous sitting there alone all prettied-up."

"I know, I know," Grover hissed into the speaker. "Percy's in the car right now. I would be driving if I wasn't on the phone."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "_You_ called _me_, idiot."

"Oh...right."

"Just drive here quickly!" Thalia hung up. She grumbled to herself, "I really hope he doesn't screw this up."

Thalia watched Annabeth give a sigh and check her phone. Thalia felt bad for her.

Grover and Thalia had been planning this date for weeks. They had reserved a table for two at Aldea five weeks before. Grover and Thalia even went shopping together to get the clothes, which was a nightmare.

"Are you guys going out?" The dumb cashier had giggled. If Grover hadn't held her back, Thalia would've slapped the shit out of that dumb bitch.

Thalia and Grover even had to get jobs at a local ice cream shop to pay for the Aldea bill. But for Annabeth and her dear cousin, Sir Kelp Head (aka Percy,) it was worth it. Long before she and Grover had even thought of the blind date, they had been noticing some touching. Not in the sense of like, sexual touching. But they noticed that Annabeth ruffled Percy's hair a lot, and Percy tickled Annabeth back. But they noticed that under all that bickering, they blushed a lot too.

Grover said that Percy talked about Annabeth a lot, but when he asked if Percy liked her, Percy laughed and said something about Annabeth being a know-it-all. Thalia often heard Annabeth talk about Percy too, but when Thalia asked her about it Annabeth blushed and rolled her eyes. "You know he's such a seaweed brain," she always said.

After that, Thalia and Grover arranged the date.


	2. Chapter 2

*I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS...I wish I did, though.*

Enjoy!

* * *

Percy's POV

Grover swerved to the lane next to theirs, avoiding a dirty yellow cab. "How about a turn signal?" Grover hollered out the window. Percy's eyes were wide; Grover's driving was lethal.

"Grover!" Percy whimpered as Grover hit the breaks and the tires squeaked. Even with a seatbelt, the sudden stop made Percy leap foreword and bump his head on the compartment. "Careful!" When Grover drove like this, how did the car hold together?

"Sorry," Grover smiled, and pulled up to Aldea. Percy scampered out the door. He couldn't wait to get out of that death machine and it's crazy driver. "Have fun!" Grover hollered out the window as Percy saw the car speed onto the busy street.

Once more, Percy tightened his tie and ran his hand through his hair. He took a breath and opened the door to Aldea.

There was a guy at the front desk. As he approached the desk, he saw that the guy was wearing blue Bermuda shorts and a sea green polo. His name tag said that he's the manager; his name was Poseidon, which didn't make sense because this was a seafood restaurant...

"Hello, I'm Poseidon, the manager of Aldea. You've made a reservation, yes?"

Percy nodded. "My um, last name is, uh, Jackson."

Poseidon looked through papers. "Jackson, Jackson, ah, here you are. Jackson. Table 71. Follow me."

When Percy got there, no one was there. In the car, Grover had said that his date was here already.

"Um, excuse me?" Percy tapped Poseidon's shoulder before he walked away. "Is the person sitting with me here yet?" In response, Poseidon shook his head. He looked like he was listening to something.

"Sorry, Mr. Jackson. I have to attend to a food allergy problem..." And with that, Poseidon left Percy.

As soon as Poseidon left, his date sat down. She didn't look like someone Grover and Thalia hanged out with. But she was pretty.

She had fire-like orange hair that was unruly. Her eyes were a grass green, fresh and thriving. She was wearing a dark green dress that covered her freckled body. Her eyelids were covered in a matching hue of green.

"Hi," she smiled awkwardly and fidgeted in her seat. Percy realized that he was staring at her for too long.

"Oh uh, hi," Percy fumbled over his words. "I'm um, Percy Jackson." He gingerly held out his hand.

The red head took his hand. "I'm Rachel Elizabeth Dare."

Percy's eyes flicked down. "So...a blind date, huh? So you know Grover and Thalia?"

Thalia's POV

She groaned. They totally screwed this up. Thalia's eyes painfully watched Annabeth fidget awkwardly in her seat. Where was Percy? He didn't ditch, he wouldn't.

_I swear, _Thalia thought bitterly_, if he ditched I swear I will beat the shi-_

"Thalia! Thalia I made it!" Thalia swerved around. Grover was grinning ear to ear, galloping towards her.

Thalia rolled her eyes and growled. "So _you_ made it but Percy didn't?"

Grover's grin melted off his face. "But I just dropped him off...?"

Thalia raised an eyebrow and pointed at the window, still looking at Grover. "Then why is Annabeth still sitting there all alone? Are you sure you got table 17?"

Grover's eyes widened. "I thought you said table 71!"

Thalia stepped towards Grover, balling her fists. "Why you little-"

"Look!" Grover pointed at the window, one hand pointing and another guarding his chest.

Thalia pressed her face to the window, not caring if the dirt stained her nose.

There was someone, someone with a scar running down his cheekbone and sandy blonde hair sitting there. Someone who was not Percy.

"Luke..." Thaila growled.

Annabeth's POV

She was just about to stand up. Right about to give up, right about to stop waiting.

_He probably ditched it, _Annabeth thought._ Whatever. It's not like I care. Yeah. _And she stood up and picked her bag off the chair. But she knew that she did care. It was like when someone judged her for being a blonde; they always thought she was dumb. "You, have, to, write, the, answer," she often heard people say to her, sounding out every syllable. Sure, Annabeth was dyslexic, but she dealt with it. She even read _To Kill A Mockingbird_ and got an A on the essay on it. Plus, she could just listen to the audiobook and get the same result.

But this was worst; her date bailed even before seeing her.

As Annabeth started to strut towards the exit when she was stopped by a sandy-blonde boy. His warm hand grasped her elbow and Annabeth tried to shake him off.

"Let me go, you rapist!" Annabeth didn't mean to call him a rapist, but in her embarrassment she did. The boy raised an eyebrow. As if there was an invisible cord connecting his eyebrow and the corner of his mouth, the corner of his mouth raised too. A scar ran down his cheekbone and stopped at his jaw. She could smell mint as he whispered in her ear.

"I don't think this is the ideal place to rape a girl, darling," the boy whispered. He let go of her and sat down at the table. Annabeth stared aghast and confused. The boy smirked and drank from the glass of iced water. "Are you going to sit down, love?"

Annabeth sat down and sipped a bit of the water, her eyes locked with the boy's. His eyes glinted with amusement. They sat there for a minute, just staring at each other. Annabeth cleared her throat.

"So..." she started. "You're on a blind date?" The boy rolled his eyes.

"Obviously," he chuckled. "I'm not some random stranger who happened to wander into Aldea." Annabeth blushed. She felt so stupid.

"Castellan," the boy said. "Luke Castellan."

"Chase," Annabeth smirked. "Annabeth Chase." Luke smiled, and Annabeth smiled back.

And then they started laughing.


	3. Chapter 3

*ugh, again, I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS.*

Lovies and huggles

~Alyssum the Factionless Peasant

Enjoy!

* * *

Percy's POV

"Wait, so what happened?" Percy was genuinely interested in the topic. After getting rid of the awkward first minutes, Rachel launched into the topic of art, which was her passion. She was talking an award she won.

"I painted a scene of the sunset over the beach. It won two awards; the New York Youth Art Award and the Young Artists State Award."

Percy laughed. "That's cool. And you won first?" Rachel nodded. Percy laughed.

"So Percy," Rachel said after sipping her water. "What do you do? What's your passion?"

Percy smiled. This question was a no-brainer. "I'm a swimmer." Rachel nodded and asked if he won any awards, to which Percy replied, "I won the state championship."

Rachel smiled and started to talk about the different strokes of a paintbrush and the techniques to mixing paint. She droned on and on, and unintentionally he zoned out and started wondering about Annabeth, which felt illegal while on a date. Like, who goes on a date with a girl but then starts wondering about another girl? But every time Percy blinked he imagined the back of her neck. He often saw the back of her neck because he often sat behind her. He couldn't concentrate in class because of A, he had ADHD and dyslexia and B, he was hypnotized my the tan, smooth curve of her neck and the small curly hairs that poked out her pony tail.

Thankfully, the waitress saved him from Rachel noticing.

"I'm Danielle Dodds, and I'll be your waitress," the waitress said. "What would you like to order?" She didn't look like a waitress; she was an old hag who was short and had fraying gray-brown hair. Her voice was painfully monotone. Her question didn't even sound like a question, it sounded like a sleepy statement. It was like a lame version of a lullaby that was more forceful. Percy felt like falling asleep.

And he was about to, when he remembered that he had to order for both of them. "Oh uh, I'll have the shrimp alhinho and the lady will have roasted kobacha squash soup. I mean, if that's okay with the lady."

Rachel wrinkled her nose. "I actually feel like having the Spanish octopus. I can't have bacon today."

With that, Danielle Dodds walked off, her back slumped. She didn't even ask us for our drinks. Rachel turned to Percy again. "As I was saying," Rachel opened her mouth, but Percy stopped her.

"I have to pee!" Percy jumped out of his seat, making it tip over. People from other tables scowled at him. Rachel frowned a bit, but then nodded her head towards the bathroom. Percy muttered a thanks and scampered away.

Annabeth's POV

"Hello, I am Dionysus, and I'll be your waiter today. What are your names?" A plump man appeared next to our table. He wore a cheetah patterned t-shirt, which couldn't go along with the restaurant dress code. His posture and monotone voice screamed, "I DON'T GIVE A SHIT."

"My name is Luke and this is Annabeth," Luke smiled at Dionysus.

"What would you like to drink, Puke?"

"Um, it's actually Luke. And I'd like some cranberry juice."

"We don't have cranberry juice. I'll just give you red wine."

"But sir-"

Dionysus turned to Annabeth. "And what would you like, Annie Bell?"

"It's actually Annabeth-"

Dionysus slammed his palm on our table. Through gritted teeth, he said, "What drink would you like?"

"Uh...lemonade please..?"

"We don't have that. I'll give you red wine too."

At the same time, Luke and Annabeth whined, "But sir we're only-" But Dionysus had already walked away. Annabeth rolled her eyes and Luke cursed under his breath.

"What an asshole," he growled like a wolf; he even bared his teeth. With the scar running down his face, his pointing eyes, and his baring teeth, for a moment Luke looked evil. But as quickly as the growl came it left, replaced by a playful smile.

Luke took a sip of water. "So Annie," she winced at her nick name. She only let Thalia call her that. "Tell me about yourself. What do you want tone when you grow up?"

Annabeth, being the cynical bitch she was, didn't know if Luke just wanted to break the awkward silence or if he was really interested. Annabeth glared into his misty blue eyes but saw nothing. _Oh well,_ Annabeth thought. _I like to talk about architecture anyway._

"I want to be an architect when I grow up." Annabeth started. Luke nodded his head and asked why. "Because," Annabeth looked down and blushed. She wasn't really used to letting her ideas about architecture flow. "I want to build something permanent, a building that will never break. Everything that has happened in my life has been temporary."

But Annabeth didn't say this. As if in a trance, Annabeth blurted out, "A vet! I want to be a vet when I grow up."

Luke blinked and raised an eyebrow. "A vet? Why?"

Annabeth fidgeted in her seat. "Because I think that...animals are cute...?" Annabeth pinched her leg. _You idiot! _She thought. _Say something smart! You're making such a fool out of yourself, acting like a stereotypical dumb blonde! Just say something that makes sense! _

"I need to pee!" Annabeth announced. Couples sitting at tables around them giggled and whispered. Her heart raced, threatening to run right out of Annabeth's chest. As if someone took a brush and painted her cheeks, Annabeth blushed a bright pink, right through the BB cream and make up. She started to walk towards the bathroom, but Luke stopped her.

"Annabeth?" He chuckled. Annabeth faced him, still blushing. "Where are you going to go pee?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes and acted irritated, but really her head spun and her throat tightened. She pointed at the hallway where she going. "Where do you think people go to pee? In the bathroom."

Luke pointed to the far right corner of the restaurant, the opposite side Annabeth was on. "You're going to pee in the kitchen? Annie, the bathroom is that way."

Annabeth blinked and headed towards the bathroom without saying a word to Luke.


	4. Chapter 4

*I'm getting tired of this. It's like Rick Riordan laughing in our faces, "YOU DON'T OWN PJO, I DO! I'm a famous author and you aren't! Haaaahhaha..."

Oh stop it Rick. But he's right, I DO NOT OWN PJO, THE CHARACTERS BELONG TO RICK RIORDAN'S PJO. THE PLOT IS MINE.*

Lovies and huggles,

~Alyssum the Human

* * *

Thalia's POV

"We need to talk to the manager," Thalia said as calmly as she could to the lady at the front desk. "My friend' stable got switched and they got the wrong date."

The lady eyed Thalia and Grover and smiled. "Are you two a couple? Aw, so cute!" The lady giggled. Thalia clenched her fist.

"Look lady, I'm not here to-"

"What Thalia here is trying to say is," Grover smiled at the lady, giving Thalia a quick glance. "Can we please see the manager to discuss the problem?"

The lady nodded and shot a glance at Thalia, who bared her teeth. She tapped the device in her ear and talked. A few minutes later, she called up Grover to talk to him. Thalia sat in the waiting seats, clenching and unclenching her fists.

Grover came over to her and rubbed his temples. "The manager is busy dealing with an allergy problem," Grover moaned. Thalia punched the seat. "We're going to have to wait at least half an hour."

Thalia closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. "Poor Annabeth," she muttered. "She has to deal with Luke for another half hour."

Percy's POV

He washed my face in cold water and leaned against the sink, glancing up at his reflection. This wasn't him, this was the softer side of Percy, the more awkward side.

_When will my reflection show..._

Percy cackled, water dripping down his face. An old man raised his eyebrow at him. Percy stopped, dried his face and dragged his feet out of the bathroom.

_I could run away, _Percy thought._ I'd never have to see that yapping girl ever again. But then I'd be the biggest bastard in the school. _Percy shivered when he imagined the whole swim team laugh at him for running away from a date. Percy shook his head. He had to endure it. It was only a date. _A first date,_ he thought bitterly.

Percy was so deep in thought, he ran into a girl.

"Watch where you're going," the girl hissed. She turned her head swiftly making the ends of her princess curls spray onto his face. Her hair smelled like vanilla. Percy watched as her tan legs walked into the ladies bathroom, her back straight and firm. She looked familiar, but Percy couldn't place his finger on it.

He kept walking and reached his table. Rachel smiled at him as she sipped her water. "Where was I?" She asked, her feet brushed Percy's legs. Percy winced, and checked the time. It had only been 20 minutes since the date had started. It was 4:30.

"How to mix the color of the sun," Percy breathed. Rachel nodded.

"It's not just a yellow color. It's a lot of colors layered together; white, yellow..." Rachel babbled on. She didn't mean to bore Percy, but she did. The colors of the sun was really interesting, but Percy didn't really excel at art, plus he couldn't stay still and listen because of ADHD. Again, his mind wandered off to Annabeth's neck...

"Mr. Jackson?" At the sound of his name, Rachel stopped talking and Percy's ears perked up. It was Poseidon who had called Percy. "I'm sorry for the mistake, Ms. Dare and Mr. Jackson..."

Thalia's POV

Every minute felt like an hour. The clock above her head ticked, mocking Thalia. 5 minutes passed. Then 10. Thalia was pacing at 20 minutes, and Grover sitting on the seat chewing his nails. Finally, 30 minutes was up.

As soon as the clock struck 4:40, Thalia shot up from her seat and leaned into the front desk. "It's been thirty minutes," Thalia's eyes drilled into the lady's forehead. "Times up."

The lady tapped on the device in her ear, sending Thalia a dirty look. She growled in response. "Poseidon?" the lady talked into the device. "Oh, okay. I'll tell them." The lady turned to Thalia as Grover rose from his seat. "Poseidon, the manager, is dealing with it. He's talking to Me. Jackson right now," then the lady turned to a group of people who had just walked into the restaurant. Thalia whooped and hugged Grover.

"We did it!" Thalia spun around, flailing her arms. "C'mon, let's go spy on them." She grabbed Grover's arm and raced out the restaurant."

Annabeth's POV

Annabeth tapped her fingers on the table as Luke stared at her. Going to the bathroom only spared her 7 minutes. She couldn't look up at him; she feared that he would make fun of her mistake. "You're so dumb," she imagined him saying. "You can't even tell the difference between a kitchen and a bathroom."

She didn't want to blush anymore. Her armpits sweated and she fidgeted around in her seat. So, she picked on her shrimp. It seemed delicious when she looked at it in the menu, but her embarrassment ruined it. The shrimp seemed to stick to her mouth and tasted like nothing. She could feel Luke's eyes on her.

"Ms. Chase!" Annabeth jumped in her seat, making Luke's glass tip over and spill on his lap.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry," Annabeth apologized as Luke wiped water off his pants. he grumbled something that Annabeth couldn't hear. "What'd you say?"

"Ms. Chase," the same person said. A man with dark hair and a matching dark beared smiled down at Annabeth. She looked at his name tag; it said MANAGER: POSEIDON. Annabeth laughed. This was a seafood restaurant; what was the god of the ocean doing in a seafood restaurant? "I'm sorry, Ms. Chase. The Aldea staff have seemed to have made a mistake. The young man here," he motioned to Luke, who was too busy wiping his pants to listen, "was mixed up with another table. I'm sorry once again; as an apology we will treat Mr. Castellan and his date and you and your date to a free dessert." Luke finally looked up at Poseidon.

"Wait, what happened?" Luke asked. Poseidon motioned Luke to sit up.

"I'll explain to you, Mr. Castellan. Your date will be right with you, Ms. Chase," Poseidom walked away with Luke, who didn't even wave or utter a bye to Annabeth.

She felt like she could breathe again. "Oh gosh," Annabeth grumbled as she closed her eye and leaned her head back. There was something about Luke that was bothered her. But she was relieved that he was gone now. When Annabeth opened her eyes, she saw her date sitting across from her.

Her eyes we're still blurry, but she could see the outline of the boy. But even with her eyes blurry, she could see the color of his eyes. Her heart raced, even faster than when she was with Luke.

Sea green.

No.

**No.**

_No. _

There was only one person that Annabeth knew who had sea green eyes. She groaned.

The boy's eyes widened. "Annabeth?"

Annabeth muttered, "Percy..."

* * *

Sorry guys, that was a pretty lame chapter. I'll do my best to make the next one better!


	5. Chapter 5

*I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS IN THIS. THEY BELONG TO RICK RIORDAN.*

I'm just gonna copy and paste that from now on. Enjoy!

* * *

Percy's POV

Percy stopped at the second to last step on the stairs. He smiled and closed his eyes. "I hope this date is better," Percy prayed. He continued down the stairs.

"Table 17," Poseidon had said. He looked for a table for two that only had one person. His eyes landed on a smooth, tan neck and golden blonde princess curls. _Bathroom girl,_ Percy smirked. He barged towards her. Percy turned to face the girl. Suddenly, his head spun and his heart raced.

Her eyes were like owl eyes; they distracted Percy from looking at the rest of her. Her eyes were a stormy gray with streaks of a lighter cloud gray. Only one person he knew had those eyes.

Annabeth.

"Annabeth?" Percy's eyes widened. Annabeth gasped.

"Percy?"

Percy smirked. "What are you doing here?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Percy shrugged. For some reason, he was embarrassed by the fact that he had to go on a blind date, that he was inept at picking up girls without the help of a friend. "Whatever. May you please direct me to table 17? My blind date is there."

Annabeth's eyes widened more, her eyeliner making her eyes even bigger. "This _is_ table 17."

Percy groaned and sat down. His heart raced and his head pounded. Of all dates, Grover and Thalia had chose Annabeth. He made a note in his head to kill them later. But in his thick suit, he started to sweat. Was he nervous?

His eyes flicked up to Annabeth's. "So," he started, but Annabeth cut him off.

"Don't try to make a conversation," Annabeth growled. She didn't want it to seem that mean, but she burst. Her heart raced and she could feel her pink cheeks shine through the make up. "I'm just doing this for Thalia and Grover. I don't like you at all."

Percy's heart stopped. His lip winced; each of her words felt like a stab, a deep, forceful stab. Percy got up and started to walk away. "You can pay the bill," he muttered to Annabeth. Annabeth grabbed his arm and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Percy," Annabeth pulled Percy back to his seat. Percy looked straight into Annabeth's eyes. "That was a stupid thing to say. Just please stay."

Percy smirked, immediatly feeling better. She wanted him to stay. "Do you actually want me here or do you just want me to pay the bill?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes and smiled. Then a fat man approached their table. "Hello, my name is Dionysus," the man said to Percy. "What's your name?"

"Oh," Percy glanced at Annabeth who struggled to keep a giggle. "My name is Percy."

Dionysus raised his eyebrow at Annabeth. "A new date, Annie Bell?"

Annabeth cleared her throat. "It's actually Annabeth."

Dionysus sighed. "Whatever. What do you want for dessert, Perky?"

"It's actually Percy-"

"Ugh, teens these days with their attitude. Just order a damn dessert please."

Annabeth laughed. Percy recoiled and laughed, "I'd like the Sonhos 'little Dreams' please. And the lady will have the Gianduja mousse." Percy turned to Annabeth. "Is that okay with you?"

Percy stared into her eyes, at her face that was illuminated by the candle light. The whole restaurant seemed to fade; the other people chatting, the fat waiter, and the table between them seemed to disappear. It was just Annabeth and Percy.

Percy compared Annabeth to Rachel. He already knew that Annabeth won, an infinity amount of points more in personality, brains, and appearance. Annabeth seemed so laid back and natural. Her hair was a tangled mess of curly blonde hair that Percy just wanted to rub against his face. Rachel looked like her hair and make up had been done on the ride to Aldea. Annabeth looked and sounded like she knew everything, that she didn't need to google random facts because she already knew them. Rachel's commentaries on painting and tips on how to hold a brush seemed so abrupt and random, like she was spouting random quotes from the internet.

Annabeth won with an infinity amount of points more than Rachel scored.

Annabeth smiled back and nodded.

Thalia's POV

She pressed her face into the glass and smiled. She saw Annabeth blush as Percy seemed to make a joke. Grover sighed.

"They grow up so fast," he joked. Thalia laughed.

"C'mon," Thalia said, pulling on Grover's arm. "Let's go so Kelp Head can bring Annabeth home." With one last proud glance, Thalia and Grover walked away.

Annabeth's POV

Annabeth laughed as she took a sip of water.

"She was all monotone and stuff," Percy giggled. Annabeth saw that when he laughed, his nose wrinkled and he grew dimples. He looked younger and cuter when he laughed. She blushed at this thought. "I seriously wanted to fall asleep. I swear she was the twin of my math teacher."

Annabeth giggled more. "Dionysus, our server, was taking our drinks. He was so stupid he couldn't even remember our names after we just told him." Annabeth rolled her eye. And caught Percy smile. "He called Luke Puke and me Annie Bell. When we ordered our drinks, he told us that the restaurant didn't have that and ordered us red wine."

Percy's voice dropped to a whisper. "How was Luke like? Was he nice?" Percy's eyes swam with something Annabeth couldn't place. She saw his eye brows pop up and his eyes lit up.

Annabeth laughed. "I called him a rapist when he grabbed me."

Percy didn't laugh. "_Grab_ you?"

Annabeth stopped laughing. "Oh, well, at the beginning of the date, you didn't come to this table, I thought you ditched so I got up to leave, but Luke grabbed my arm."

The corner of his right lip lifted up making a sad lopsided smile. "Sorry for that. Grover told me that it was table 71, upstairs."

Annabeth shook her head. "It's not your fault, Seaweed brain. It's Poseidon, the manager's fault."

Percy's laughed when Annabeth mentioned the manager. "Isn't it weird how the manager of Aldea, a seafood restaurant is Poseidon, the god of water?"

Annabeth nodded vigorously. "And our waiter who brought us the red wine was named Dionysus?"

Percy nodded along and smiled, his eyes bright and interested. "You're such a Wise Girl, Wise girl."

She wrinkled her nose. "Wise Girl? Is that my nick name now?"

"Well you called me Seaweed Brain."

Annabeth shrugged. "Wise Girl's a pretty lame nick name-"

"Hey!"

"-but it's better than Annie Bell."

Annabeth and Percy nodded. Dionysus popped out of nowhere and said, "Your check was already paid for. You may go now." Then, he walked away.

They locked eyes and said at the same time, "Thaila and Grover."

"I can't believe they put you and me on a blind date," Annabeth said as she stood up and grabbed her purse. "Like, of all people, you and me."

Percy nudged her arm as she walked past him, out of Aldea. "I think we're a pretty good match. Better than me and my mixed up date."

Annabeth blushed. Her eyes locked with Percy's. His hair seemed lighter in the moonlight, and his eyes became brighter. "Tell me about your date."

Percy's POV

And Percy did. He told her about Rachel, about how she was a painter and never stopped talking about painting. He told her about how he had to escape to the bathroom. He almost told her about how he thought Annabeth looked more natural than Rachel, that her beauty seemed unforced but Rachel's did. But he couldn't bring himself to make the atmosphere between them awkward. At least not now. He just wanted to talk with Annabeth. It felt like he knew her, and being alone with her on the streets of New York without Thalia and Grover pestering them about every tough they shared made him feel more intimate with her.

Annabeth checked her phone and gasped. "It's 6:50! And Thalia texted me that she left with Grover."

Percy shrugged. He was okay with Grover leaving. He could just pay for a taxi ride home. "Okay...and?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. Percy loved it when she did that. It gave him a chance to look at the storm that brewed in her eyes. "My curfew is 7."

Again, Percy shrugged. "Oh, I'm not worried about that. My curfew is 5. I'm sure my mom won't care."

"Ooooh, you bad boy," Annabeth taunted, causing Percy to roll his eyes. "Stepping over you curfew."

"Whatever, Wise Girl."

"That's right, Seaweed Brain." Percy laughed as Annabeth checked her bag for cash, but all she had was a crumpled dollar bill. She looked up at Percy and pouted. She made a dog-begging face.

"Can you pay for my ride home?" Annabeth pressed her palms together, widened her eyes and pouted her lips.

Percy's head exploded with fireworks. He could ride home with Annabeth Chase! The Annabeth Chase, whom he had had a crush on since the 6th grade (but would never admit it.) But all he said was, "Might as well. I live a street down from your apartment."

Annabeth exhaled. "Thanks Seaweed Brain."

They stood in front of Aldea for a moment, waiting for a vacant cab to pass by. Everything but the streets was quiet. Percy broke the silence.

"On one condition," he whispered. Annabeth turned to him and raised an eyebrow.

"And what is your condition?"

Percy took a shaky breath, uncertain if this was the right moment. But he blurted it out before he could decide yes or no. He tapped his cheek. "A kiss."

Annabeth raised her eye brow more. The shadow that danced across her face made her seem more intimidating. "A kiss?"

"A kiss." Percy blinked. Alarms went off in his head.

"I could always walk home..." Annabeth turned away, and Percy heard her heels click down the steps.

"It was a joke," Percy laughed, blushing. He grabbed Annabeth's arm and spun her around.

"Let go of me, you rapist!" Annabeth giggled.

Percy lowered his voice. "I don't think this is the ideal place to rape someone, sweetheart."

They laughed, snorting and spitting until they couldn't breathe. Percy's eyes caught a yellow car zipping though the traffic and hollered at it. He grabbed Annabeth's small, warm hand and chased the cab.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Percy had told the driver to stop a street away from Annabeth's apartment because if they went all the way there, the payment would be 2 dollars over the amount of money Percy had.

Hand in hand, Percy and Annabeth walked down the street. It was already passed 7, so Percy and Annabeth walked slowly. They were quiet while the rest of the world seemed awake and alive. The charges Annabeth's skin sent through Percy's nerves was nauseating. To keep himself from wrapping his body around Annabeth's, Percy broke the silence as he always did.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Percy asked. He didn't just ask for the sake of keeping it not-awkward between them. Percy had always wanted to ask her the question, but whenever he got the chance to talk to her he could never conjure up the confidence to talk to her. He could feel Annabeth smile.

"I really want to be an architect," Annabeth answered. Her voice was softer than a whisper but had the force of a shout.

"Why?" Percy had heard many people say they wanted to be a teacher, an artist, a technician, an author, but never had Percy encountered someone who wanted to be an architect.

"Because," Annabeth stopped. Percy realized that they were in front of her apartment building. He frowned. He didn't want to stop talking to her. "I want to build something permanent. Nothing in my life has ever been permanent. Everything so far has been temporary. I want to build a monument that will last forever."

Percy nodded. "That's amazing."

Annabeth looked away. "I'll never be able to do it, though." She gave a breathy laugh. "It's just some old dream I had when I was a kid."

Percy clenched her hand. He used his other hand to lift her chin so that her gray eyes looked up at his. "Hey," Percy saw her lip quiver. "It's a better dream than what most kids our age have. Most of them just want to be millionaires. I bet all of them are going to end up in jail."

Annabeth laughed. Her breath tickled Percy face. He was aware of how much space was in between them: only 2 inches. He felt a crave to smash his lips against hers.

"What's your dream, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth said. Her hand squeezed his.

"I want to be a marine biologist," Percy said. His eyes flicked up to the stars. He smiled and pointed to a constellation of Aquarius. Annabeth grinned. "I love the ocean. Every time my feet touch the salty water, it makes me feel smarter. It's refreshing."

"Better than wanting to be a millionaire," Annabeth joked. Percy laughed.

There were only 2 centimeters separating them now. Annabeth's back was pressed to the brick wall. Percy's left hand was intertwined with her right hand, and his other hand rested on the gray fabric above her hip. The mood was hypnotizing, forcing Percy to make a move.

Annabeth's eyes were closed, and her small exhales tickled his chin. Each exhale was like a voice chanting, "kiss her, kiss her, kiss her..."

Their lips were 1/4 of an inch away. Percy was going for it, when the most movie-like thing happened.

Annabeth's phone buzzed.

They jumped away from each other. Annabeth trembled as she fished her phone out of her bag. Percy's eyes were wide, unsure of what to do.

"Sorry Seaweed Brain. My mom texted me," Annabeth said blushing. Percy just nodded his head. "I gotta go." With that, Annabeth swung the door to her apartment building open and barged up the stairs.

Percy sighed. He was so close, so so so close.

He closed his eyes as his feet dragged him towards his own apartment. He could still smell the vanilla from her hair that invaded his lungs.

Percy heard a door slam and swiftly turned around. Annabeth was standing there, staring at Percy. Before he could say anything, Annabeth ran towards Percy and stood on her tippy-toes, and her lips met his.

Percy froze, his eyes widened and stared at the girl who was kissing him.

_Kissing him. _

_Annabeth was kissing him. _

Percy couldn't take it. He closed his eyes and brought his hands up to her nape and the back of her head and pressed her closer. They belonged together like two puzzle pieces, as if their bodies were formed to be close to each other. They were _meant_ for each other. There were no gaps between them. Only a gray dress and a suit separated Percy from fully inhaling Annabeth.

Percy didn't know how long they stood there, attacking each other's mouths with soft kisses. But Percy found one thing that he was sure about: he couldn't wait for school on Monday.

* * *

Hey guys! Thanks for reading this fanfic. This was a really cool fanfic to write, and I hoped that you enjoyed it! But unfortunately, this was the last chapter. Thanks again! Without you supporters I would have never finished this. Please share your thoughts and check out my other fanfics!


End file.
